Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

6 reviews

lauriej's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, Torture, War, Murder, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Body horror, Cursing, Murder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, War, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Excrement

enchantedfiction's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THIS BOOK!

***Possible spoilers ahead***

I personally don't normally steer towards reading historical fiction, but this book makes me want to pick up more for sure!

I adore Katherine Arden's writing style. She has a way of writing her characters perfectly for the setting they are in, and this is no different. The dialogue and themes throughout this story are extremely time period appropriate and absolutely captivating. Laura was a determined, stubborn, and fiesty FMC, and the characters surrounding her took her strengths to better themselves. Although I have never been part of a war, I could feel the damage the war did to Freddie looking back in Laura's memory of him and how his part of the story played out. I thought the two were a very nice balance for each other, and the way the storylines came together was perfect.

I also loved all of the side characters. They all felt necessary and played important roles, and I really love how Faland was a villain character that wasn't necessarily nefarious. He didn't have that typical villain tantrum, he kind of let the people around him decide their own fates without a ton of interference. It more or less felt like he was more curious about human nature and psychology, though he did try to sway them to stay with him and give over themselves, which in a way is almost a more hardened villain in my opinion.

And can we get an amen for Jones!? I absolutely loved him.

I would highly, highly, highly recommend this to any and all who enjoy historical fiction stories and honestly to anyone who just enjoys a good story. This is definitely going to be a top read for me for the year, and is quite possibly one of my new all time favorites.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Medical trauma, Violence, Medical content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Minor: Suicide attempt and Torture

lila_still_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Medical content, Gore, Confinement, War, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Torture

Minor: Medical trauma

creolelitbelle's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Although this story is dark with the setting of Belgium and France during WWI, a historical fiction novel that is not focused on WWII is refreshing. Laura is well-versed in the trauma of the "Great War", when she decides to return to Europe to search for her presumed dead brother, Freddie. I admire her tenacity despite the odds and the risks stacked against her. Freddie desperately seeks solace where he can to save himself and those he cares about, but at what costs? The idea of forgetting your past trauma might be alluring to some, but I'm a firm believer in our trauma helping to shape who we become. Ghosts' warm hands give a chilling effect to the narrative, imagining all the ghosts from both sides wandering the fields and trenches of Europe. What causes someone to become a ghost? Dying? Or could ghosts sprout while we still exist in the mortal realm? Questions from this book will stay with me for a while. Very good. I enjoyed a book not only about the war but also about family and loyalties. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Violence

Moderate: Gore and Grief

Minor: Torture

pixie23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, War, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, and Grief